2026 season recap

The inaugural York Durham Crit Series wrapped up this past weekend, closing out a first season that exceeded our expectations and gave us a strong foundation to build on for 2027.

We had 75 unique racers participate throughout the series, and one of the most encouraging results was that each of our five race dates attracted more participants than the race before it. From Race 1 through our Season Ender, attendance continued to grow as more riders discovered the series and returning racers brought others with them.

Creating a place for new racers

One of the biggest successes of the season was our Beginner category.

The objective was to create an environment where riders new to racing could develop race-specific skills without immediately having to worry about being dropped. Coached and supported by experienced racers, the riders learned to ride together at controlled paces and began to understand the differences between a traditional group ride and riding safely and effectively in a race pack.

Throughout the sessions, we mixed steady-paced riding with race simulations, attacks and sprints before bringing the group back together. Racing followed the paced sessions where the beginners had the chance to stretch their legs (20 minutes paced / 20 minutes racing). The goal was simple: learn how to race, build confidence and keep everyone involved.

Our Intermediate category followed a similar progression. We began with timed sessions and gradually transitioned into full racing as the season progressed. It was great to see the confidence, pack skills and competitiveness of these riders develop from one event to the next.

Strong club support

We received tremendous support from 247 CC, whose racers were very well represented throughout the series. Uxbridge CC and the Newmarket Eagles made up much of the rest of our regular field, along with riders from Midweek, B1 Gruppo and a growing number of unaffiliated racers.

A different season finale

For our final event, we were able to take another major step and race on a fully closed road course, which gave us some great options. Each category raced twice, with points from both races determining the overall race-day winner.

The closed road allowed us to change the course between races. Race 2 was run in the reverse direction, giving racers a completely different parcours to navigate. Corners, approaches, positioning and where riders could attack all changed, adding another tactical element to the second half of the day.

Points earned at the Season Ender were doubled and added to each rider’s existing series points to determine our 2026 series champions.

2026 series podiums

Congratulations to our series champions, podium finishers and everyone who came out and raced with us this year.

What we learned and what’s next

Year one taught us a lot.

The Township of Uxbridge proved to be a great partner, and we’re looking forward to continuing to develop the series there. Moving from our regular series format to a fully closed road for the Season Ender also gave us a good look at what we can do with larger events in the future.

Operationally, sourcing dedicated timing equipment is a priority for next season. From a racing perspective, we want to continue pushing hard to attract new riders into the Beginner field while also encouraging racers who are ready to move from Intermediate into Experienced. Growing that Experienced field will help create stronger and more competitive racing across the series.

For 2027, we’re planning to start the season earlier and move our regular racing to Thursday evenings. This gives racers a day between Midweek and YDCS and should make it easier for riders to participate in both.

We’re also planning to bring back the Sunday Season Ender, building on the closed-road, two-race format we introduced this year.

Thank you to Ontario Cycling, the Township of Uxbridge, our volunteers, the clubs that supported the series and all 75 racers who took a chance on a new race series in its first year.

We learned a lot, participation grew every race, and we’re looking forward to building on it in 2027.